Two local agricultural small businesses are the recent recipients of the Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant presented by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Last week, Naig announced that 26 grants are to be distributed out across 22 counties with a total value of $463,000. This year’s grant will help support a variety of projects from delivery and cold storage, fruit, and vegetable production and processing, warehouse capacity, agritourism opportunities and much more. Breda Ag Solutions out of Carroll was awarded $25,000 to assist with increasing seed and grain packaging capacity with new palletizing and specialty bagging equipment. Over in Jefferson, Deal’s Orchard was the second local business to receive the $25,000 grant to purchase a new canning line for transition cider packaging to increase processing capacity and reach new markets. Secretary Naig says “We are so pleased to provide these Choose Iowa cost-share investments because they will enhance the availability of Iowa products while creating positive economic activity in communities, big and small, across our state. A full list of all recipients has been included below.
Acorn Bluff Farms, Inc | Columbus Junction | $15,432.00
Expand cold storage capacity for direct-to-consumer pork sales.
Total project budget: $30,865.00
Blueberry Bottom Farm | Brighton | $13,072.00
Enhance blueberry production via the transition to moisture retaining to fabric mulch and add day-neutral strawberry production.
Total project budget: $29,399.00
Breda Ag Solutions | Carroll | $25,000.00
Increase seed and grain packaging capacity with new palletizing and specialty bagging equipment to reach new export markets.
Total project budget: $954,350.84
Calyx Creek | Oxford | $19,586.00
Improve lavender and specialty herb processing with specialized debudding and distillation equipment to enable value-added culinary-grade lavender and essential oil production.
Total project budget: $39,173.00
Champion Steaks LLC | Creston | $25,000.00
Add on-site cold storage and refrigerated transportation for value-added cattle feed to produce premium-grade beef.
Total project budget: $99,250.00
Cortum Farm and Co. | Indianola | $25,000.00
Renovate historic barn for on-site farm store, farm market, farm-to-table dinners and diversified event space.
Total project budget: $51,340.00
Deal’s Orchard | Jefferson | $25,000.00
Transition cider packaging with new a canning line to increase processing capacity and reach new markets.
Total project budget: $52,805.00
Ebersole Cattle Co. | Kellerton | $25,000.00
Develop a new food hub in Southwest Iowa and offer home deliveries of beef, pork and poultry.
Total project budget: $60,000.00
Engelbrecht Farm | Waverly | $25,000.00
Add processing and storage space, including dedicated cold storage, to increase cut flower production.
Total project budget: $50,568.17
Golden Outdoors LLC | Adel | $25,000.00
Customize an existing building for aquaculture and add infrastructure to raise Pacific white shrimp.
Total project budget: $70,000.00
Honey Hollow Apiary and Gardens LLC | Indianola | $8,473.00
Improve honey harvest with commercial extraction equipment to efficiently scale up production.
Total project budget: $16,946.25
HoQ Restaurant | Des Moines | $25,000.00
Add cold storage and workspace to increase retail product production and distribution.
Total project budget: $58,732.59
Long Walk Farm | Council Bluffs | $25,000.00
Construct an on-farm store to increase sales of Iowa ag products and build market access for multiple Iowa farms.
Total project budget: $68,948.22
Luna Valley Farm Kitchen LLC | Decorah | $25,000.00
Expand warehouse and storage capacity and add an on-farm store to offer additional locally grown products.
Total project budget: $81,467.00
Marcellus Orchards LLC | Batavia | $4,000.00
Procure specialty equipment for use in a new Southeast Iowa freeze-dried fruit processing plant to add value to locally grown fruit.
Total project budget: $8,381.00
Oak and Olive Flowers | Decorah | $2,328.00
Expand specialty cut flower production with new outdoor workspace and specialized equipment.
Total project budget: $4,656.00
Olathea Creek Winery | Bettendorf | $25,000.00
Increase production capacity and product availability by adding specialized bottling and processing equipment.
Total project budget: $54,705.00
One Farm LLC | Logan | $3,590.00
Expand frozen and refrigerated retail display space to offer additional local ag products.
Total project budget: $7,180.00
Purple Ribbon Beef LLC | Britt | $24,324.00
Convert a warehouse to a commercial kitchen and a new on-farm store to increase and diversify product availability.
Total project budget: $48,647.00
Rhubarb Botanicals | Springville | $6,973.00
Scale up medicinal and culinary herb and flower production by acquiring automated walk-behind harvesting equipment to meet growing wholesale demand.
Total project budget: $13,946.00
Sennert Farms | Linn Grove | $25,000.00
Construct a cover crop seed cleaning and fulfillment facility to expand into wholesale cleaned seed production.
Total project budget: $52,875.00
Sweet Season Farm | Calmar | $15,805.00
Convert an existing machine shed into an on-farm vegetable processing facility with specialized processing equipment and cold storage.
Total project budget: $31,611.40
Tailwind Acres LLC | Cresco | $2,418.00
Expand on-farm infrastructure for cold storage and retail sales of florals and mushrooms in addition to products from other farms.
Total project budget: $4,836.00
Treasure Acres | Blairsburg | $3,762.00
Construct an indoor bee overwintering facility to improve colony management and survival success rates.
Total project budget: $7,524.00
Vintage Beef by Gress Family Farms | Charter Oak | $20,000.00
Convert a historic railroad depot into a community farm store with cold storage, packaging and retail space.
Total project budget: $49,130.00
Wills Family Orchard | Adel | $22,927.00
Convert a portion of an existing warehouse into cold storage to extend the seasonal availability of apples.
Total project budget: $45,854.00
